Until golden brown

Along the walkways and byways of Main Street U.S.A. are many ornate display windows. Among the windows, near the entrance to the Main Street Bakery, is a window stocked with mixing bowls, cookies, eggs, milk and a cookbook. Conveniently, the book has been marked for, and opened to, a recipe for chocolate chip cookies.

If the weather in your area is as cold as it is here, a nice warm plate of cookies might just be what the doctor ordered. If it isn’t cold in your neck of the woods, well, who can say no to a chocolate chip cookie?

Here is Main Street’s window recipe:

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375º F
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Number 1 in electro-robotics

PUSH showed up last weekend at the WDW Radio Show Meet of the Month and had a nice conversation with Lou Mongello, hinted at some developments in Tomorrowland, and put a smile on the faces of the masses. You can check out the video of the exchange over at Passamaquoddy. On the Gazette side of PUSH, you can check out a blurry picture from the exchange with Lou or read about my wife’s previous interaction with PUSH.

During the trip, I also ran into PUSH’s younger cousin, Beverly, in Epcot. She looks sweet enough, in that classic beauty sort of way, but man does she leave a bitter taste in your mouth!Seriously though, as PUSH said in the video on Passamaquoddy, I never want o have to write an article bemoaning the loss of PUSH and why he should be saved. PUSH is one of the few characters given life inside of the Disney theme parks that has never had a life outside of that environment, and d yet, as a part of the theme park family, I can think of no other character in Tomorrowland who has brought so many smiles to so many. PUSH is innovative, interactive, and irresistible. Keep on rolling PUSH!

Global Friendship

World Showcase originally sheltered nine pavilions, bulging with dining and shopping opportunities, Worldkey Information Satellites, FriendShips lagoon ferries, and an internal bus system. Today, through the recorded history of EPCOT Center’s first postcards, we’ll take a tour of World Showcase. Let’s go ahead and board our Lagoon Bus and begin.

GLOBAL FRIENDSHIP Guests pose by one of the Lagoon Busses which travel World Showcase in Epcot Center. In the upper deck, representatives from around the world share their customs and traditions in the world’s first permanent international exposition.

MEXICO, WORLD SHOWCASE Within the “ancient” pyramid, sail the “River of Time,” enjoy traditional entertainment and cuisine, and shop for handcrafts on the Plaza.

CHINA, WORLD SHOWCASE Inside the “Temple of Heaven,” behold Wonders of China that surrounds you through the movie magic of Circle-Vision 360.

GERMANY, WORLD SHOWCASE The calm waters of World Showcase Lagoon creates a mirror image of Germany at Epcot Center. Inside the pavilion, a re-creation of a traditional German Biergarten celebrates Oktoberfest all year long!

ITALY, WORLD SHOWCASE Amid Renaissance splendour, feast on Italian cuisine, shop for Venetian crystal and enjoy the Commedia dell’ Arte troupe.

AMERICAN ADVENTURE A cast of 35 Audio-Animatronics figures, giant-screen movies, and the magic of a Broadway show bring to life a dramatic story of America and its people.

JAPAN, WORLD SHOWCASE A pagoda rises among the sculpted gardens and colorful koi fish ponds. Shop in a store dating from the 17th century and try teppanyaki dining in a setting recalling the Shishinden Shrine.

FRANCE, WORLD SHOWCASE Boulevard shops feature wines, perfumes and artwork. Renowned chefs host an elegant restaurant, and a new romantic movie takes you on a soaring tour.

UNITED KINGDOM, WORLD SHOWCASE Sup on British fare and raise a pint of ale at the pub. Stroll cobblestone lanes and see eight different architectural styles. Linger in quaint shops packed with British goods.

CANADA, WORLD SHOWCASE Surround yourself with Canada at a new Circle-Vision 360 movie, shop for Eskimo crafts at a trading post, stroll through “Victoria Gardens” and dine in a wine cellar.

Endless Miles

I’ve had a couple of days to recover from, and reflect on, my half marathon experience and I thought it would be an appropriate time to share some tips and some warnings.

First of all, TRAIN! Train your hearts out! There are plenty of sites full of resources to help you plan out your training, as well as a handful of dedicated bloggers talking about their training(a number of them can be found in the left-hand column of the Gazette). Built in supports will help you succeed. I must admit that I did not train and, while I finished, I wasn’t proud of the fact that I hadn’t done any real work for it. Additionally, my body has told me repeatedly (as in with every step I have taken) how much it didn’t like the experience since I finished as well.

Secondly, if you can, carry a cell phone with you. I didn’t feel comfortable checking my phone with baggage claim, so I decided to carry it with me. I never talked on it until after the race was over and I was trying to find the rest of my party, but I was able to receive uplifting text messages from friends and family that kept me putting one foot in front of the other.

Give your run a purpose and a motto. You don’t have to run for a cause or for anyone, it can be as simple as you are running for yourself, but putting something out there adds to your determination to finish. In the past few years I have lost some family members who meant a lot to me, I was running for them, and will continue to run for them, because the opportunity to live life isn’t something that they have any longer and I do. To go along with that, my very good friend Greg sent me a few words to remember before I ran, and it fit what I was doing and why I was doing it perfectly. The motto he gave me I will use for many years, “Keep moving forward.”

I would also like to take a moment to thank each one of you who came out to cheer for all of the runners out there. It didn’t seem to matter who you were, there were thousands of people cheering us on all along the course. Some of you, like the children offering high fives on Main Street, will stay with me always. Talking to a few people who did not run, but who cheered other runners on, they said that all of us were an inspiration to them, but, truth be told, all of you who volunteered, handed out snacks and drinks, screamed at the top of your lungs, held up signs, and applauded for all of those hour, it is you who inspired us. All we did was run, you gave us the will to run, and that means so much.

I am already drawing up my plans to run again next year, and I will start running, just as soon as I figure out how to walk again. Some of who know I used to be a die-hard runner and that I have missed it but not found the will to run again, I have my running legs back under me and a three year plan. For the dedicated readers out there, here is the first look exclusive at my thoughts on the future of my running. Next year, I will run the 2010 Half-Marathon fully conditioned. In 2011, I am going to run my first ever full Marathon. Then, in 2012 just a month after I have turned 30, I will complete Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge.

Again, I cannot stress enough that training is absolutely necessary if you plan on completing this run, unless you want to be exiled to a bed for a few days. Also, I cannot ever repay those of you who cheer us on, I can only tell you that if you’ll keep cheering, we’ll keep running. The next stop for Team Gazette, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K (hopefully…)!

Scared kids don't laugh

The bulletin board over at Mike and Sully’s Monsters Inc. Meet-and-Greet, located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, offers up some terrific puns, gags, and insights into the inner workings of the monster thought process. Previously, the Main Street Gazette looked at the Top 10 Ways to Get Fired, and all that that entailed. Today, let’s take a look at a memo that would be helpful for top scarers who are trying to convert themselves over to top comedians.Though posted at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, this memo would, perhaps, fit better in the Magic Kingdom’s Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. What strikes me is the emphasis on not hurting the audience. In a world where contact with humans is petrifying, this memo seems to imply that many of the monster-comedians would want to reach out and touch someone. Still, “Punchline does not mean hit the child,” has to be one of my favorite Monsters Inc. details anywhere, but, perhaps that is just the teacher in me.

The seas had been born

This week, I once again had the extreme pleasure of joining Lou Mongello on the WDW Radio Show. This time we moved away from the Island and on out into the deep waters of The Living Seas as part of Lou’s continuing retrospective series. From films to fins and hydrolators to sea cabs, The Living Seas once again comes alive.

For those of you who miss some of the original charm of Seabase Alpha, here are a couple of videos for you.

First up, The Seas. This film was part of The Living Seas’ preshow, and contains some of the most memorable quotes ever to come out of an attraction.


The second video is from the 1985 Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade, which aired on Christmas Day. During the course of the parade, Regis Philbin was able to get a sneak peak behind the scenes of what The Living Seas would, and did, offer guests. The clip features not only a younger Regis, but also Kym Murphy (previously discussed hereon the Main Street Gazette), and Mickey in full diving gear, as talked about on this week’s WDW Radio Show.


As always, be sure to check out the WDW Radio Show. Lou puts in a tremendous amount of time and effort for each show, and it shows through with quality information each and every week.

So long farewell...

Last meal

Emergency Break

Goofy About Sports

With so many people taking part in the Marathon Weekend, it seems to be the perfect time for a Back Issue about Sport Goofy, Disney’s place in sports, and some of their past involvement in youth sports. Margery R. Lee wrote about just those topics in Goofy About Sports, in the Summer 1984 issue of Disney News.

He’s not exactly what you’d picture as a superstar in athletics. In any event, sports or otherwise, he’s more than likely to trip over his own big feet. But what the heck… it’s not whether you win or lose, right? According to Sport Goofy, it’s the proper attitude that really matters… how you play it – in life, and in sports.

Which is probably why this famous Disney cartoon star was chosen as the official mascot for the Walt Disney Productions’ International Sports Program. When Walt Disney Productions was selected as the first official national corporate sponsor of high school sports by the National Federation of State High School Associations, it seemed only natural that lovable Sport Goofy should also be adopted as the national mascot for high school sports.

Sport Goofy’s motto is “Support Sportsmanship.” And that’s what he does – with much enthusiasm. He’s the participant you most admire – the one who tries the hardest and enjoys it the most, while at the same time, always representing the epitome of good sportsmanship. All of these favorable attributes make Sport Goofy a very popular guy and a source of inspiration for young athletes, both nationally and abroad.

The Sport Goofy program had its roots in Europe and has spread rapidly throughout the sports world with Sport Goofy appearing in person at Wimbledon, the Little League World Series, the Indy 500, on the Goodyear Blimp and on NCAA network television broadcasts. His popularity was prove internationally when France selected him as their mascot for the 1980 Olympics and he received the official endorsement of the German Sports Association.

In 1983, Walt Disney Productions and the United States Tennis Association jointly developed the “USTA/Sport Goofy National Junior Tennis Championship” for players 14/under and 12/under. The televised competition featured 128 players competing in singles and doubles matches at the Coto de Caza tennis stadium in California. This year the tournament will be held at the Disneyland Hotel/Tennisland facility in Anaheim, California on August 21 – 26, 1984. The event is being staged by Walt Disney Productions and its promotional partners Adidas, Coca Cola, Atari, Eastern Airlines and Penn. Colorful Disney entertainment and pageantry will highlight the opening and closing ceremonies, and there will be themed events throughout the festivities. Tickets will be available at Tennisland.

The USTA/Sport Goofy National Junior Championship is part of the worldwide Sport Goofy Junior Tennis Championship Series. The series will feature 19 national tournaments, 3 continental championships and the International Tennis Federation/Sport Goofy World Junior Tennis Championship at Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, September 19 – 23. The finalists at the National Championships will receive an automatic invitation to the World Championship in Florida.

Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria and Brazil will be the sites of Sport Goofy tennis events in July… Italy and England in September; examples of many of the world-wide locations for the National Tournament Series. In December, a two-hour television “Sportainment” Special will highlight the ITF Junior World Tennis Championship at Walt Disney World. You’re likely to see that Goofy character almost anywhere in the world – if not in special events, on animated specials on television, educational programs, merchandise items and in publications, promoting a wonderfully new and healthy attitude towards junior sports in America. Sport Goofy stands for energy plus, and the fun, laughter and spirit of good sportsmanship.

Pretty good for an old duffer who made his film debut way back in 1932, don’t you think?

France impressions

Lou and PUSH

Lunch at the Plaza

Clang clang clang went the trolly

It's nice to dine with fruits

All throughout Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Asia you can find various fruits and vegetables hanging from roof lattices. Some of these, like peppers and garlic, are easily recognizable, while still others, like the spiny fruit pictured above, are truly foreign to us. The spiny fruit in question is called a durian, sometimes referred to as the “King of Fruits”, and is native to countries in Southeast Asia like Malaysia and Indonesia. Today, we’ll take a look at this intriguing fruit from the outside in.

The spiky outer casing of the fruit not only protects the fruit it is also the origin of its name, as durian comes from the Malay word duri, meaning thorn. So the spines of the durian give it its name and protect the seeds inside, but, it can also inflict injuries on those collecting them. The trees that grow the roughly 30 species of durian can reach heights in excess of one-hundred and fifty feet, which means a durian falling from that height could inflict serious harm on the unaware, though death by durian is rare. Hardhats are recommended to those who collect durians. The armored outer husk is also, some say, the way to tell when a durian is ripe, as it will begin to crack.

Internally, the fruit is comprised of seeds, varying in number by species, and a fleshy pulp that surrounds the seeds. This pulp is ready to eat when the fruit is cut open, though the seeds can also be consumed after boiling. The flesh of a durian releases an odor that can be detected by animals up to half a mile away. Animals such as tigers, squirrels, elephants, and pigs find the durian to be extremely delicious. People, however, are undecided on the scent and taste of the durian. Descriptions of the smell of durian run the gamut from vomit and sewage to only certainly disagreeable. The accounts of the taste are even more far-ranging, from and almond custard, to a runny French cheese, to rotten onions. The scent of the durian is so pervasive that it is prohibited in public transportation, airlines, enclosed spaces, and a variety of hotels.

Durians today can be found during their ripe seasons all across Asia, northern Australia, Madagascar, and even in states such as Hawaii and Florida. So, the next time you’re in Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Asia, I would advise not standing too close to this fruit, or else you might end up with puncture wounds that smell like skunk spray.

Start Line

Restroom break anyone?

Gotta get up gotta get going

Galatic Hero

My favorite